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Pope Leo XIV Prays for Victims of Jordan Church Attack as Death Toll Rises to Nine
The Pope described the assault on St. George’s Orthodox Church as a “terrorist attack” and expressed solidarity with Jordan, a country known for peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
Ana Paula Morales (Poli)
10/23/20266 min read
AMMAN, Jordan — Pope Leo XIV offered prayers for the victims of a deadly attack on worshippers at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hammoud, Jordan, where the death toll has risen to nine, with approximately 40 others injured.
Speaking after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, October 25, the Pontiff explicitly condemned the violence as a “terrorist attack” and expressed his closeness to the affected community and the Jordanian people.
“I assure my prayers for those who were killed and injured last Friday in the terrorist attack against the faithful of St. George’s Orthodox Church in Hamoud, Jordan,” Pope Leo XIV said from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
“I am close to that community and to the entire country, which is distinguished by peaceful coexistence and respect among different religions,” the Pope added, renewing his appeal for prayers for peace.
Gunmen Open Fire During Funeral Service
The attack took place on Friday, October 23, as dozens of mourners gathered for a funeral at St. George’s Church in Hammoud, in Jordan’s Karak Governorate, south of the capital, Amman.
Witnesses said three masked gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on people inside and outside the church. Some worshippers were forced to throw themselves to the ground and crawl to safety as the shooting unfolded.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate confirmed on Saturday that the death toll had risen to nine, after two critically wounded victims died in hospital. Seven deaths had initially been reported.
Authorities continued their search for those responsible. As of Sunday, no organization had claimed responsibility for the attack, and Jordanian officials said it was too early to determine whether the perpetrators had links to extremist groups operating inside or outside the country.
King Abdullah II ordered a forceful response against those responsible and anyone seeking to undermine national unity, pledging to confront them with an “iron fist.” The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast on public buildings.
Funeral services for the victims were held in Hammoud on Sunday.
Ahead of the ceremonies, Father Yuhanna Hamati said the community’s response would be “a message of love, peace and reassurance” to the world, according to Reuters.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Condemns Attack
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed profound sorrow over the killings during a telephone conversation with Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.
According to a statement issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Bartholomew unequivocally condemned the assault, warning that acts of terrorism threaten peaceful coexistence among peoples, religions and cultures—an especially urgent concern in the Middle East.
The Ecumenical Patriarch prayed for the eternal rest of those killed, extended his condolences to their families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
For their part, Patriarch Theophilos III and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem declared that the attack would neither drive Christians from their homeland nor break the unity of Jordanian society.
“We are the children of this land, its living roots, and partners in its history, present and future,” the Patriarchate stated, urging Christians to remain steadfast and united in prayer.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem also denounced the targeting of people gathered in prayer during a funeral as an offense against God and humanity.
As a sign of solidarity, they called for church bells throughout the region to ring at noon on Saturday in remembrance of the victims.
Holy See Expresses Solidarity with Victims
A day before the Pope’s public remarks, Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan, visited survivors receiving treatment at Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein Military Hospital and Karak Government Hospital.
The Vatican representative expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, condemned the attack on innocent people gathered for a religious ceremony, and emphasized that religion should lead to peace rather than hatred.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also strongly condemned the attack, stressing that Christians and Muslims in Jordan form “one national family,” united by a shared history and common destiny.
The tragedy has shaken Jordan, widely regarded as one of the Middle East’s most stable countries and long recognized for its tradition of religious coexistence.
Although Christians represent a minority of Jordan’s population, their communities have maintained a historic presence in the country and continue to play an important role in its public and social life.
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Caption: View of Al-Karak Castle, Jordan, adapted with artificial intelligence as a symbolic image of mourning for the victims of the attack on St. George’s Church. Base photo: Effi Schweizer/Wikimedia Commons, public domain. The image does not depict the actual location or scene of the attack.
